DALLAS --7-Eleven Inc. has given its franchise recruitment website a facelift to make it easier to apply for one its convenience-store franchises, branding its franchise process as “Franchisease.”
“We are emphasizing that it is easy for qualified candidates to apply for, own and grow their number of franchise stores in areas where we do business,” said Greg Franks, 7-Eleven vice president of franchise systems. “The website’s look is more modern and simplified. It’s easier to navigate and has cleaner lines imagery and text.”
But the rebranding team did more than just update the look—the department did months of research on what makes a site appealing, and analyzed where webpage visitors landed and lingered, as well as what competitors were doing online.
“More importantly, we wanted to be mobile device-friendly,” said Franks. “We serve people who are on the go, connected 24/7 and want content delivered to their fingertips, and this includes being mobile-device friendly.”
Imagery is dominant on the pages. There is more interaction and even some animation. Social media is embedded. There is more original content, as well as blogs and franchisee profiles, explaining the benefits of a 7-Eleven franchise and showcasing the company’s technology and operations support.
The site is divided into three easily digested segments: the basic contract, the applicant’s experience and financial information.
The company also offers “Franchising 101,” a description of what franchising is all about. It’s more of an education rather than a sales tool, the company said, and it includes a glossary of terms to help the novice understand, for example, what a “franchise disclosure document” is.
Franks said the team saw the number of applications rise shortly after the company launched the new website in late summer.
“We believe our new approach is paying off,” Franks said. “Visitors are staying longer on the pages and the bounce rate (exiting the site) has gone down.”
7-Eleven continues to grow, and the company said it expects to have a net of approximately 200 c-stores added to its U.S. store count this year.
Dallas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses nearly 10,700 7convenience stores in North America. Globally, there are more than 57,200 7-Eleven c-stores in 17 countries.
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